Method and apparatus for continuously producing small dispensing rolls of sheet

ABSTRACT

A method of and an apparatus for continuously producing small dispensing rolls of sheet in strips of small thickness, of such material as paper, film of synthetic resin, wafer, aluminum foil or the like, each roll including a required amount of such sheet of small thickness wound on a core.

tee ?atent Kataoka [4 1 May 22, 1973 [54] METHGD AND APPARATUS FOR [56] References Cited CGNTINUOUSLY PRODUCENG SMALL UNITED STATES PATENTS DISPENSING ROLLS OF SHEET 2,385,691 9/1945 Corbin ..242/56 Inventorl Katfwlfw, AS8111 1 2,984,426 5/1961 J0hns0n.... ....242/56 A chome, lyomlshlma, Japan 3,087,687 4/1963 Grettve ..242/56 R [22] Filed: Sept. 2, 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [211 APPl- 68,873 998,989 7/1965 Great Britain ..242/56 A Related US. Application Data Primary Examiner-George F. Mautz [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 757,229, Sept 4, Assistant Examiner Edward J McCarthy 1968 abandoned Attorneyl(urt Kelrnan [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT Sept. 4, 1968 Japan ..43/757229 A mdhod of and an apparatus for continuously [52] U S Cl 242/56 A producing small dispensing rolls of sheet in strips of [51] In. .Cl 19/26 Small thickness, of such mamrial as p p film of [58] Fie'ld 56 R 58 2 synthetic resin, wafer, aluminum foil or the like, each roll including a required amount of such sheet of small thickness wound on a core.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 22, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HmosHI HATHOKH BY 4 4M Patented May 22, 1973 3,734,423

Sheets-fibeet 2 INVENTOR BY 74M! M AGENT Patented May 22, 1973 3,734,423

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 3

INVENTOR HI Kn mom? BY KM fl/MM METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY PRODUCING SMALL DISPENSING ROLLS OF SHEET REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 757,229, filed Sept. 4, 1968, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to a method of and an apparatus for continuously producing small dispensing rolls of thin strips of sheeting, such as paper, film of synthetic resin, wafer, aluminum foil or the like, each roll including a required amount of such thin sheet wound on a core. Rolls of tissue paper may be given as a typical example of a small sheet roll produced by this invention.

One method that has hitherto been utilized in producing rolls of tissue paper consists of passing through the core on which the paper is wound a spindle which is of sufficient length to project from said core at both ends. In operation, the end portions of the spindle projecting from the cylindrical member are then rotated so as to wind paper on the outer surface of the core. This method, however, makes it necessary to insert the spindle into the core prior to setting the core on the winder and to remove the spindle from the core wound with paper prior to placing the wound core on a slitter for cutting it into individual rolls of tissue paperv Another method is known wherein a number of rollers are provided between two discs about the periphery thereof. The rollers are rotated and paper is wound on the outer surface of a core supplied between said rollers. It was, however, difficult to wind paper at a high speed by this method.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus for continuously and automatically manufacturing rolls of a desired length of sheet material by winding the sheet material on a core at a high speed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after the description hereafter set forth is considered in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an apparatus embodying this invention, with certain parts being shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the cylinder drum as seen from one side of the disc;

FIG. 3 is a plan view, with certain parts being shown in section, of the cylinder drum, showing the arrangement of the conveyor and nozzles for spraying a bonding agent; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing in detail the zone including a standby and first winding position and a second winding position immediately after the sheet has been cut transversely.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring to the drawing, main shaft 7 suitably supported horizontally has discs 8 mounted centrally thereon. In the embodiment illustrated, six shafts 9 are supported parallel to the length of main shaft 7 by and between the discs 8. The positions on discs 8 at which shafts 9 are supported lie on a circle which has a common center with discs 8. Rollers 10, all of equal diameter, are supported one on each shaft 9. Thus, along the outer portion of the cylindrical space between discs 8 six compartments I, II, III, IV, V and VI are formed radially at regular intervals by the surfaces of adjacent rollers 10 and the inner walls of discs 8.

Mounted on one end of main shaft 7 is helical gear 1 1 which is rotatable relative to main shaft 7 (FIG. 3). Said helical gear 11 is formed integrally with a sprocket 12 which engages a chain so as to constantly rotate the helical gear independently of main shaft 7. Mounted on the end of each shaft 9 which projects beyond disc 8 is a helical gear 13 which engages said helical gear 11 so that all rollers 10 mounted on the shafts 9 are continuously rotated by helical gear 11 in a counterclockwise direction at velocities indential with each other and with the velocity of sheet supply. Thus, in compartments I, II, III, IV, V and VI the walls lying parallel to axis of the cylindrical space are formed by the rotating rollers 10.

A pulley 14 is secured to the end of the main shaft 7 and a belt engages said pulley 14 so as to rotate the main shaft 7 in a clockwise direction. An indexing wheel 15 is secured to the end of the main shaft 7 between said helical gear 11 and said pulley 14, said wheel 15 being formed with six notches 15 on its outer circumference for receiving therein an electromagnetically operated stopper 16 so as to control rotation of the main shaft 7 and cause the same to make onesixteenth of a complete revolution each time it is rotated.

When the stopper 16 is in engagement with one of the notches 15' for restraining the main shaft 7 against rotation and the compartment II is in first winding position 6, then compartment I which is next beyond compartment II in the clockwise direction is in second winding position 17 and compartment IV which is the second compartment beyond compartment II in the counterclockwise direction is in core supply position 18 (See FIG. 1). Cores 19 which may be either cylindrical or tubular each have a length compatible with the distance between discs 8. Cores 19 are laid crosswise and stored in bin 20 without having spindles or the like inserted therein. Cores 19 stored in the manner described are moved one by one along passage 22 the floor of which is formed by the upper belt of conveyor 21. The forward end of passage 22 is at the core supply position 18 in which is mounted member 24 operated by a hydraulic drive 23 which member normally keeps the forward end of passage 22 closed so as to prevent cores 19 from falling from passage 22. It should be noted that continuous operation of conveyor 21 for delivering cores 19 in passage 22 to core supply position 18 causes all the cores in the passage to rotate on their own axes, and this rotation of the cores in the passage is transmitted to cores 19 in bin 20, thereby facilitating movement of the cores successively from the bin to passage 22.

Upon actuation by drive 23, member 24 first moves downwardly from its rest position to a lower operative position in which it opens the forward end of passage 22 and places one of the cores 19 on member 24. Member 24 having a core 19 resting thereon moves upwardly to deliver core 19 to compartment IV now in core supply position 18 and stops in an upper rest position. When member 24 stops in said rest position, the

forward end of passage 22 is closed. Cores 19 delivered one by one to the compartment I, II, III, IV, V and VI as they successively reach core supply position 18 are in turn carried to the first winding position as main shaft 7 makes two one-sixteenth revolutions. Guard means 25 is provided to prevent dislodging of the cores 19 from the compartments as they move from core supply position 18 to first winding position 6.

Provided above first winding position 6 is first pressing device 26 consisting of press roller 37, actuator 39 and arm 38 having said press roller 37 at one end and said actuator 39 at the other end thereof. Press roller I 37 is forcibly rotated by means of a motor (not shown) at the speed identical with the sheet supply speed. Said roller presses the core positioned in first winding position 6 against the outer peripheries of two rollers so as to bring it into frictional contact with said rollers, thus ensuring the rotation of the core in the sheet winding direction.

As the diameter of the sheet roll becomes larger, the amount of air admitted into actuator 39 is controlled by means of arm 38 so as to maintain the pressure of the roller 37 on the core at a constant level. Furthermore, a second pressing device 27 is provided at second winding position 17. Said device 27 presses core 19 against two rollers 10.

In the embodiment illustrated, the second pressing device consists of endless belt 29 stretched on a plurality of pulleys 28. Said belt is forcibly rotated at a speed identical with the sheet supply speed or at a slightly higher speed. Sheet 1 is drawn out of sheet roll 2 by means of feed rollers 3. In the case where sheet 1 is tissue paper or the like, it is given perforated lines at regular intervals by means of perforator 5 so that it can be easily torn. Sheet 1 is then fed between counter rollers 4 to first winding position 6, where said sheet is wound on a rotating core 19.

The length of the sheet to be wound on a core in first winding position 6 is detected by means of counter 30 which is driven by counter rollers 4. When the number of rotations of counter roller 4 has reached a predetermined number, drive 23 is actuated by means of controller 35 which operates cooperatively with said counter 30 so that member 24 permits a core to be fed to the compartment in core supply position 18. When the core has been supplied to said compartment stopper 16 disengages from notch to a position from where it can engage with the next notch. At the same time, the clutch (not shown) at the power side engages to rotate main shaft 7 clockwise. Main shaft 7 is rotated at a low speed. When said shaft has made one-sixteenth of a complete revolution, stopper 16 engages with the next notch to restrict the rotation of said shaft and the clutch disengages stopping the main shaft rotation.

Thus, the core on which the sheet has been wound in first winding position 6 is moved to second winding position 17 by the angular rotation of disc 8 as main shaft 7 is rotated.

If winding is continued under pressure at the time when the core is to be moved from one winding position to the next, the sheet will be too short in length by the distance between first winding position 6 and the second winding position, resulting in breakage of the sheet, because the core winding speed and the length of sheet drawn out are both fixed.

To prevent breakage, the sheet roll is released from press roller 37 of the first pressing device while the core is being moved. When sheet is being wound on the core in first winding position 6, the sheet roll is contacted at three points by two rollers 10 and press roller 37. As the sheet roll is being transferred by the rotation of discs 8, it is released from press roller 37 and is contacted at only two points by rollers 10. The sheet roll then enters the second winding position where it is again contacted at three points by the second pressing device and two rollers 10, and sheet is again wound thereon. In this way, according to this invention, the sheet roll is released from the pressing devices when it is moved from the first winding position to the second winding position. Consequently, the shortage of the length of the sheet caused by the movement of the sheet roll is made up for by slipping of the sheet roll on rollers 10, thus preventing breakage of the sheet.

At the same time that the partially wound core is transferred from the first winding position to the second winding position, the fully wound core in the second winding position is dropped onto carry-out conveyor 36 to be moved out of the apparatus.

Further winding on core 19 on which a required amount of sheet has been wound in the first winding position is performed at the second winding position under the pressure from the second pressing device. In this case, if belt 29 of pressing device 27 is not forcibly rotated at a speed identical with the paper supply speed, the pressure applied to the sheet roll is increased as the amount of sheet which has been wound increases, resulting in the distortion of the shape of the wound sheet roll. In order to avoid the above-described drawback, it is necessary to forcibly rotate belt 29. In the case where it is desired to wind the sheet tightly, the belt speed should be a little higher than the speed of the sheet supply.

When it is detected that a required amount of sheet has been wound on a core in the second winding position, counter 30 driven by detection roller 4 causes hydraulic actuator 31 to actuate so that the sheet is cut by means of knife 32 connected to said actuator. The cutting position should be preferably at a point between the first winding position 6 and the second winding position 17; especially a point immediately behind the first winding position is preferable. Simultaneously with cutting of the sheet, winding is begun on a new core being rotated by the rollers 10 and the first pressing device in the first winding position. If the sheet is of strong quality, the cut end thereof will not be easily wound round the core positioned in the first winding position. In such a case, counter 30 actuating the knife 32 gives a command to a nozzle provided at the first winding position to spray water or a bonding agent onto the core positioned in said winding position, or gives a command for blowing air by means of nozzle 34 against said core from the direction of the second winding position 17, thus facilitating winding of the cut end of the sheet around the core.

As described above, when a required amount of sheet has been wound on a core in first winding position 6, the core is moved to second winding position 17, where further winding is continued. The wound sheet roll in second winding position 17 is dropped onto conveyor 36 and a new core is moved to the first winding position where it waits its turn. A core is supplied into a compartment in the core supply position. The abovedescribed operations are repeated.

The present invention has been described with particular reference to the embodiment thereof. It is, however, to be understood that this embodiment is given by way of example and that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention. For example, revolution counter 35 can be replaced by a timer, by means of which the cylinder drum can be rotated a given time after the start of winding on the core in the compartment in the stand-by and first winding position or after the actuation of revolution counter 30 but before the time when the winding of a required amount of sheet on the core is finished.

According to this invention, as described above, a first pressing device is separated from a second pressing device by a fixed distance and the sheet is supplied from the outside of the core. Consequently, it is possible to start winding on a new core waiting in the first winding position as soon as winding in the second position is finished. When the core is to be moved from the first winding position to the second winding position, the sheet roll on which the required amount of sheet has been wound slips as a result of its being in contact with rollers at only two points, thus preventing breakage of the sheet and facilitating the production of sheet rolls at a high speed.

I claim:

1. A method for continuously producing small dispensing rolls of sheet from a supply roll of continuous sheet on an intermittently rotating drum having at least three peripherally disposed and regularly spaced core receiving compartments each constituted by a pair of rotating rollers for frictionally rotating a core, said drum being stopped successively to place each of said compartments successively at a core supply position, a first winding position, and a second winding position; said method comprising the steps of:

l. supplying a core to each said compartment as it arrives at said core supply position;

2. rotating said drum to move said core into said first winding position;

3. supplying the sheet by means of a pressure roll to said core and pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position to initiate paper-core contact and winding of the sheet in that position;

4. releasing pressure of said core from frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position and rotating said drum to move said core into said second winding position;

5. pressing said core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the second winding position to complete winding of the sheet on the core in that position;

6. transversely cutting the sheet between the first and second winding positions; and

7. rotating said drum to discharge the wound core from the second winding position.

2. In an apparatus for producing small dispensing rolls of sheet from a supply roll of continuous sheet, the combination of:

l. a rotary drum having at least three peripherally disposed and regularly spaced core receiving compartments each constituted by a pair of rotating rollers for frictionally rotating a core;

2. a core supply position, a first winding position and a second winding position provided in that order about the periphery of said drum in the direction of its rotation;

3. means for intermittently stopping rotation of said drum when said compartments are aligned with the respective positions;

4. means at the core supply position for supplying a core to each of said compartments as they become aligned with the core supply position;

5. means for supplying the continuous sheet by means of a pressure roll to the core at the first winding position; v

- 6. means provided at the first winding position in fixed location not affected by rotation of said drum for pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with said rotating rollers at the first winding position to initiate winding of the sheet on the core and to release the initially wound core from such driving engagement when a predetermined amount of sheet has been wound thereon;

7. means, separate from the last mentioned means, provided at the second winding position in a fixed location not affected by rotation of said drum for pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with said rotating rollers at the second winding position to complete winding of the sheet on the core in that position;

8. means disposed between the first and second winding positions for transversely cutting the sheet; and

9. means for receiving a wound core discharged from the second winding position. 

1. A method for continuously producing small dispensing rolls of sheet from a supply roll of continuous sheet on an intermittently rotating drum having at least three peripherally disposed and regularly spaced core receiving compartments each constituted by a pair of rotating rollers for frictionally rotating a core, said drum being stopped successively to place each of said compartments successively at a core supply position, a first winding position, and a second winding position; said method comprising the steps of:
 1. supplying a core to each said compartment as it arrives at said core supply position;
 2. rotating said drum to move said core into said first winding position;
 3. supplying the sheet by means of a pressure roll to said core and pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position to initiate paper-core contact and winding of the sheet in that position;
 4. releasing pressure of said core from frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position and rotating said drum to move said core into said second winding position;
 5. pressing said core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the second winding position to complete winding of the sheet on the core in that position;
 6. transversely cutting the sheet between the first and second winding positions; and
 7. rotating said drum to discharge the wound core from the second winding position.
 2. rotating said drum to move said core into said first winding position;
 2. a core supply position, a first winding position and a second winding position provided in that order about the periphery of said drum in the direction of its rotation;
 2. In an apparatus for producing small dispensing rolls of sheet from a supply roll of continuous sheet, the combination of:
 3. means for intermittently stopping rotation of said drum when said compartments are aligned with the respective positions;
 3. supplying the sheet by means of a pressure roll to said core and pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position to initiate paper-core contact and winding of the sheet in that position;
 4. releasing pressure of said core from frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the first winding position and rotating said drum to move said core into said second winding position;
 4. means at the core supply position for supplying a core to each of said compartments as they become aligned with the core supply position;
 5. means for supplying the continuous sheet by means of a pressure roll to the core at the first winding position;
 5. pressing said core into frictional driving engagement with the rotating rollers at the second winding position to complete winding of the sheet on the core in that position;
 6. transversely cutting the sheet between the first and second winding positions; and
 6. means provided at the first winding position in fixed location not affected by rotation of said drum for pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with said rotating rollers at the first winding position to initiate winding of the sheet on the core and to release the initially wound core from such driving engagement when a predetermined amount of sheet has been wound thereon;
 7. means, separate from the last mentioned means, provided at the second winding position in a fixed location not affected by rotation of said drum for pressing the core into frictional driving engagement with said rotating rollers at the second winding position to complete winding of the sheet on the core in that position;
 7. rotating said drum to discharge the wound core from the second winding position.
 8. means disposed between the first and second winding positions for transversely cutting the sheet; and
 9. means for receiving a wound core discharged from the second winding position. 